Zeke's mind was a whirlwind.
Jie-ge's lie was so blatant, so stupidly wrong, that it was almost beautiful.
Yes, the Hero's Party ran. They ran because Himmel, the Hero, was a "narcissist" who refused to let a single friend die for his victory. He valued their lives over "winning" a single, pointless battle. They didn't run because they were weak; they ran because they were smart.
And the "Serie killed the Demon King" part? That was pure, unadulterated garbage.
Serie. A mage from the Age of Myths. A living grimoire. She was on the same level as the Demon King. And she loved war. She lived for it.
She would never kill the one person responsible for starting them.
Jie-ge's face, however, was a mask of pure confidence. The other rookies, his new cult, huddled around him, desperate for more "intel."
Zeke's suspicion solidified into fact.
Jie-ge had never seen Frieren. He was basing his "Veteran" knowledge on scraps, rumors, and half-truths, and he'd come to a laughably wrong conclusion.
And if Jie-ge's earlier hint was true, it meant the Reincarnators were fumbling in the dark in every world, slowly gathering intel piece by painful piece.
Which meant...
Zeke's heart hammered in his chest.
He was the only one. He'd died a fanfic-writing, anime-binging corporate slave.
He was the only one who knew the plot.
He was a "Prophet."
The spike of adrenaline faded. He forced himself to calm down. Prophet or not, he had to survive this Novice Trial first.
He needed allies. He needed anyone else smart enough to pick Choice 2.
He scanned the crowd. The situation was bleak. Jie-ge's misinformation had done its job.
Eleven reincarnators, not counting him.
Eight of them were already huddled together, psyching each other up. "Reincarnator lives are the only ones that matter." "It's just a fake world, like a game." "They're not real people." Classic. Rationalizing the slaughter to come.
The fatty was still sucking up to Jie-ge, no doubt promising his B-Rank talent in exchange for protection.
The last two stood apart.
It was the skinny kid in the anime shirt. He was sitting on the ground, his face a mask of conflict.
Beside him, a girl in a black combat suit stood ramrod straight, a long tachi at her hip. She was glaring at the group of eight, her eyes ice. Her thumb was rubbing the hilt of her sword.
They had similar features. Brother and sister?
Only two...
Still, in a life-or-death trial, two was better than zero.
"Friend," the girl asked, her voice low as he approached, "which choice are you making?"
He met her cold eyes. He saw the flicker of hope in them.
Then, Zeke put on a mask of pure terror. He flinched, looked at the anime-shirt kid, and scurried away, heading straight for the group of eight.
The girl's face hardened, the hope extinguished.
The numbers are bad. Time for a trick, Zeke thought. The smart kid looked like a quick thinker. I hope he understands the ruse.
"Don't worry, kid!" a portly man, Uncle Wang, clapped Zeke on the back as he joined their group. The gesture was a test. "They've only got two. We've got ten!"
He jerked his thumb at the fatty. "That B-Rank talent is with us, too. And the Demon General is way stronger than the Hero's Party. Those villagers don't stand a chance!"
"Y-yeah? That's great," Zeke stammered, his face pale, forcing a weak smile. He looked at the portly man, his eyes wide with "hope."
"Big brother... I'm Zeke. Is it... is it true? Is this world really fake?"
The man's suspicion faded, replaced by smug confidence.
"Of course it is, kid," he lied, his greasy face beaming. "It's just like a video game. You kids should know that, right? Now..."
...
A few minutes later, the wooden plank hovered over its destination.
Then it dropped.
BOOM!
The plank slammed into the ground, sending up a massive cloud of dust that choked the light.
[MISSION START]
[Hint: Demon Disguise is now active. You will register as a 'Demon' to all entities.]
The blue barrier vanished. Jie-ge vanished with it.
The dust cloud hid the reincarnators from each other.
It was the perfect cover.
A violent, seizure-like tremor rocked Zeke's body. His skin flushed crimson. He felt an agonizing pressure build, as if something was about to burst from his skull.
[You have joined the Demon Faction.]
[Your S-Rank Talent "When in Rome" has activated!]
[You have gained the Demon Bloodline.]
It was agony.
And it was over in an instant.
Zeke stood up, no longer fully human.
[Name: Zeke Ren]
[Tier: 0]
[HP: 100%]
[MP: 50/50] (Recovers 5/min)
[STR: 7]
[VIT: 7]
[AGI: 7]
[SPI: 10]
[CHA: 7]
[Hint: A normal adult male has an average of 5 in all stats.]
[Talent: "When in Rome" (S-Rank)]
[Skills: Demon Bloodline (Lv1), Mana Sense (Lv1), Flight (Lv1), Memory Magic (Lv1)]
[Demon Bloodline (Lv1)]
Effect 1: All stats +2, Spirit +3.Effect 2: Greatly increased lifespan. This skill levels up naturally over time.Effect 3: Unlocks a unique magic system. Grants [Flight] and one magic-type suited to your personality. (MP Regen +2/min)Effect 4 (Negative): Your emotions will slowly atrophy. Over time, only base instincts like joy and anger will remain.
Zeke breathed deep, flexing his new hands as the dust settled. The sudden power felt... good.
His chances of survival just shot up.
As for helping the dwarf kill the Demon General for a better reward...
He activated [Mana Sense Lv1].
Through the dust, he saw it.
A mountain. A mountain of colorless, shimmering energy.
Schlack.
His mana... it's over 1,000. At least.
Zeke was no suicide-jockey. That was a problem for the dwarf.
I just have to live until the Hero's Party gets here. They'll fix this!
A sharp gust of wind blasted the dust cloud apart.
At the head of their group, Demon General Schlack stood with his back to them. He was facing a single, unimpressive old dwarf.
The dwarf was trembling, but he held his ground, his axe ready. He couldn't retreat.
Behind him, the villagers were desperately evacuating.
"Begin," Schlack said, his voice a low rumble as he drew his sword.
It was a command for them.
And for the others.
"Awooo!"
Wolf howls echoed from all sides. Then came the fire.
The trial had begun.